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Parents Packet

Everything you need to know about being a Warwick Wrestling parent

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Table of Contents

Introduction…………………………………………………………...3

About our Program……………………… …………………………...3

Leadership Team…………………………………………...................3

Mission Statement and Values……………………………..................4

Goals for the Program…………………………………………………5

Philosophy and Overview of the Program…………………………….6

Expectations of Coaches………………………………………………7

Risk Management……………………………………………………...8

Issues and Concerns……………………………………………………8

Facilities at Warwick…………………………………………………..9

Dates and Times………………………………………………………..9

Communication………………………………………………………...9

Contact Us……………………………………………………………...9

Rules, Regulations and Other Key Information for Practice…………10

Sample Practices………………………………………………………11

Core Curriculum………………………………………………………12

Competition…………………………………………………………...13

Lancaster Wrestling League…………………………………………...13

Intermediate Group Competition……………………………………...14

Intermediate Scrimmages……………………………………………...14

Wrestling Rules and Terminology…………………………………….15

Match Conduct………………………………………………………...18

Do’s and Don’ts……………………………………………………….19

Warwick Youth Boosters……………………………………………...21

Developmental Characteristics………………………………………..22

Myths of Talent Development…………………………………………23

Skin Infection in Wrestling…………………………………………….24

Wrestling Resources for Parents………………………………………26

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Introduction

We are very pleased that your child has signed up to be a Warwick wrestler! The sport of

wrestling can enrich your child’s life in innumerable ways. This packet is intended to

serve as a guide for you and your child to help make the most of the season and the

opportunities available in the club. Please do not ever hesitate to bring up any points or

ask any questions you may have, as we are working together to make this an incredible

experience for you and your child. So follow along to learn about each part of the

program.

ABOUT OUR PROGRAM

The Warwick Youth Wrestling Program (“Warwick Wrestling” or “Warwick”) is not

affiliated with the Warwick School District. We are considered a "feeder" program by

the School District, meaning our job is to prepare the young wrestlers to move up to the

Junior High Program. We have a great relationship with the school district and

appreciate their support of our program.

Our program is designed for any boy or girl who is between the school ages of 1st

through 6th grades. 7th graders and above need to wrestle at the junior high or senior

high level.

LEADERSHIP TEAM

The Warwick Youth Wrestling program leadership team for the 2017-18 wrestling season

is as follows:

Director: Ben Yerger

Assistant Director: Vacant

Treasurer: Marcello Medini

Secretary: Vacant

Board Member: Mike Winters

Board Member: Alicia McClune

Warriors Head Coach: Ben Yerger

Braves Head Coach: Marcello Medini

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Warwick Mission Statement, Values and Goals

Mission Statement

Warwick Wrestling is dedicated to providing an educationally based coaching

philosophy to the wrestlers of the Warwick Wrestling program. The program will

be focused on skill development in a fun but safe environment. The coaches will

not only stress the best techniques for the sport of wrestling but to provide life

skills. Coaches will try to connect what they are doing in the wrestling room to

lessons outside the wrestling room. The program will not determine success by

wins and losses but in how wrestlers learn the sport and having a positive athlete

experience.

Values

We at Warwick are accountable to the sport of wrestling, the wrestlers and the

parents of those members. We have a responsibility to use the best methods to

teach a student-wrestler a lifestyle of excellence and high moral character.

Including but not limited to: teaching correct wrestling techniques, life skills and

excellence in the classroom.

As Warwick coaches we have a responsibility to value everyone’s time equally.

We have an obligation to ensure all wrestlers receive the attention they need to

have the best possible experience with the sport. Only by honoring these

responsibilities and standing by these values can Warwick provide the absolute

best service to the Warwick wrestling community. Our coaches will work to

advance the sport of wrestling to its utmost potential, by not taking any shortcuts

and making decisions of the highest moral character.

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Goals for the Program

- Get each wrestler to learn the basic skills of the sport

- To have a positive athletic experience

- Master techniques needed to be successful in the sport

- Double the number of wrestlers in the program

- Have 6th grade wrestlers want to continue in the sport in JHS

- Have wrestlers do well in school and understand the importance of

academics

- Make sure all wrestlers understand the rules of the sport

- Have advance wrestlers place in the Lancaster County Tournament

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Philosophy of the Program

The focus of our program will be on skill development and providing a fun and

rewarding experience for each child in a positive learning environment. We will not be

measuring the success of our season on wins and losses but instead, on how each wrestler

develops throughout the season.

While winning is important, we must realize that success isn’t defined solely by winning.

We will define the success of the program in the educational experience we provide to

your child.

We will do our very best to group your child with other students of similar weight and

ability at all practices and competitions. The guiding principal is that safety and well-

being of the wrestlers will take precedence. Please know that not every student will

initially be physically and/or emotionally ready for competition in a combative sport like

wrestling. We will pay very close attention to how they do in controlled competition at

practice before we subject them to open competitions (outside of our practice room).

We will also be stressing to the wrestlers the importance of sportsmanship. Our coaches

will be tasked with setting a proper example of sportsmanship for our wrestlers and,

parents. Our coaches will have positive interaction with officials, opposing coaches and

wrestlers.

Make it fun! The number one reason kids play youth sports is because they want to have

fun. The number reason why kids quit sports is because it is no longer fun. We have an

obligation to ensure that our wrestlers have fun while developing their wrestling skills.

While wrestling can be the greatest sport in the world, it can also be one of the most

difficult. If practice is not fun, students tend to drift towards other sports and lose interest.

While there is time for wrestling and working hard, there also needs to be time for fun

and games. Please know that “fun” can also be realized when young students enjoy being

around their coaches/teammates, they experience “healthy challenges” that are kept in the

proper perspective, they can see progression with skill development and

strength/conditioning, they can contribute to the overall success of the team, and they

take part in active participation.

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Coaches:

We have an excellent group of coaches who have wrestled and competed at the highest

level of the sport and also have coached at the high school and Division I college level.

Many of our coaches also work in the educational fields including teachers,

administrators and coaching development.

Expectations of Our Coaches

• Health and safety is the top priority (nothing supersedes this)

• Adhere to a educationally based coaching philosophy

• Ensure wrestlers have a good experience

• Take an interest in the wrestlers: ask about school or etc.

• Be positive, patient, and encouraging with the athletes

• Stress sportsmanship and fair-play

• Character development (work ethic, responding to success & failure

appropriately, facing adversity, self-discipline, team-oriented, etc.)

• Stress and recognize improvement

• Understand that wrestling is a contact sport and kids will get upset. Stay

positive

• Ensure that partners are working together cooperatively

• Ensure kids are paying attention and help when someone is not following

the rules.

• Make sure partners are matched up appropriately

• During live wrestling make sure to watch and intercede when there is

mismatches

• Use mistakes as teachable moments.

• Let parents know when a child is doing well

• Not allowing negative comments by wrestlers

• Supervise during live wrestling

• Assist in making sure wrestlers are learning the technique correctly

Not acceptable actions by coaches:

• Use of exercise as a punishment

• Yelling at a wrestler for mistakes

• Negative or disparaging comments to any wrestler

• Yelling at officials and displaying poor sportsmanship

• Touching or grabbing a wrestler in an physical manner

• Arguing or engaging negatively with parents

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How coaches are instructed to deal with poor behavior

• Provide several verbal warnings

• Separate the wrestler from the group (during technique session)

• Have the wrestler sit or stand with another coach (during technique

session)

• Have the wrestler sit on the wall and not participate (drilling)

• Do not allow the wrestler to participate in game at end

• If the issue continues to be a problem please bring it to Ben or

Marcello’s attention

Risk Management

A. Athletes must be supervised at all times. Never leave children alone at any

time. Most accidents happen before or after practice when athletes are

unsupervised. Be sure that a supervising adult is first to arrive and the last to

leave the training facility.

B. Make certain that there is sufficient supervision at practice and/or

competitions.

C. Inspect the practice area daily to make certain that it is safe.

D. The mat area must be properly disinfected before every practice.

E. Do not allow the practice area to become too crowded. This dramatically

increases the risk of athletes falling on (or into) others thus causing injury.

F. Never allow there to be a large difference between the weight and/or ability

levels of partners during practice or competition. This is first and foremost a

safety issue.

G. Organize the wrestlers in the room by keeping the heavyweights in one end

and the lighter weights in the other end. Any wrestlers/coaches who are not

drilling or sparring should remain on their feet so they can keep teammates

from colliding into each other.

H. As a coach, be careful when demonstrating a technique on a young wrestler

I. Practice attire should consist of gym shorts and t-shirt and/or a singlet.

J. Ensure the emergency action plan is available in the wrestling room. Have

contact information on site for all student athlete’s parents as well as

emergency squad phone numbers in the event of injury or emergency.

Issues or Concerns

It is important that if you have concerns or questions (included but not limited to

wrestler’s progression, issues with a coach(es), safety concerns, etc.), please address them

to Ben or Marcello immediately. We cannot improve or change things if we are not aware

of issues.

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Facilities at Warwick

Our practice facility will be at the Warwick High School Wrestling Room. The wrestling

room is located near the weight room and old gym. You should enter the wrestling room

from the Orange Street door. Please do not enter the main doors of the high school gym.

Dates and Times

The program will run from December 4 through March 3.

Practice Times:

Braves (Grades 1-3): Tuesday and Thursday 5:45-6:45

Warriors (Grades 4-6): Monday 6:00-7:30; Tuesday and Thursday 6:50-8:05

If school is closed there will be no practice.

Cancellation of practice:

In the event that practice must be cancelled due to weather or reasons, we will send an

email and also post on the Facebook page. If you would like to be alerted via text

message, please let me know and we can add you that way as well.

Complete practice schedule will be available on the Warwick Wrestling Website

Communication We will provide weekly email communication to the parents for all groups. The

communication will include schedule for the week, upcoming competitions, progress

report of the group and other pertinent information.

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Contact Us

Ben Yerger, Warriors Head Coach: 717-682-2709 or benjamindyerger@gmail.com

Marcello Medini, Braves Head Coach, 717-419-6347 or MMEDINI@yahoo.com

Website: www.warwickwrestlingclub.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/222424191154256/

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Rules, Regulations, & Other Key Information for

Practice

Practice Rules

• Please be on time

• No running in the halls prior to practice

• Please dress in the hallway before entering the wrestling room

• Do not enter the wrestling room until your practice time starts

• No horseplay before or during practice

• Proper attire must be worn to practices.

This following is recommended to wear to practice:

• Loose fitting gym shorts or sweat pants (no belts allowed)

• T-shirt

• High top gym sneakers or wrestling shoes (preferred)

• Mouth guard for any child with braces (must be supplied by the families, need both

upper and lower guards)

• Bring water bottle

• There will be no jewelry of any kind worn during practice or matches!!!

• Treat teammates and coaches with respect

• Shower after practice

• Bring warm clothes for after practice

Practice Procedures

• Participants will only wrestle with a teammate of similar age, size, and skill level

• No wrestler will be forced to participate in “live” practice situations

• Any participant who fails to follow the safety rules put in place by the Warwick coaching

staff is subject to removal from the program.

Parents in the Wrestling Room

Parents are allowed in the wrestling room during practice. Being involved in your child’s

practices is an important part of learning the sport for all. However, due to the tight space we

ask that you abide by the following rules:

• Please keep conversations to a minimum

• Please do not have siblings in the rooms

• Please make sure you have flat footed shoes and wipe them before entering the room

• Let coaches do the coaching

• Be encouraging during practice and not critical

• Words of encouragement or direction towards their child to pay attention, or focus

are okay, and can be helpful.

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Sample Practices

Braves:

5:45 – 5:55 Warm-up & Stretch 5:55 – 6:05 Stance, Motion, Penetration Step 6:05 – 6:10 Sit out Turn In, Sit Back Turn In, Stand-Up 6:10 – 6:15 Agility Lines (Penetration Step, Tumbling, Bear Crawls…..) 6:15 – 6:20 Break 6:20 – 6:40 Technique 6:40 – 6:45 Game

Warriors:

Sample Practice Schedule Mid-Season (Advanced) 6:50 – 7:00 Warm-up & Stretch 7:00 – 7:05 Stance, Motion, Penetration Step 7:05 – 7:10 Sit out Turn In, Sit Back Turn In, Stand-Up 7:10 – 7:15 Agility Lines (Penetration Step, Tumbling, Bear Crawls…..) 7:15 – 7:20 (Maximum of 5 Minutes) Demo a Move from Neutral 7:20 – 7:30 Practice Move and Re-teach as Needed (Maximum of 2 Minutes to Re-teach) 7:30 – 7:35 Water Break (must have a break) 7:35 – 7:40 (Maximum of 5 Minutes) Demo a Move from Top or Bottom 7:40 – 7:50 Practice Move and Re-teach as Needed (Maximum of 2 Minutes to Re-teach) 7:50 – 8:00 Live Wrestling 8:00 – 8:05 Game

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Core Curriculum

Warriors Braves

Lead Stance Lead Stance

Basics Square Stance Square Stance

Motion (Circling) Motion (Circling)

Downblock Downblock

Penetration Step Penetration Step

Bottom Set up Bottom Set up

Top Set up Top Set up

Neutral Offense 1) Double leg 1) Double leg

2) Single Leg 2) Single Leg

3) Head Outside Single 3) Low leg single

4) Duck Under

5) Low leg single

Offense Set up Inside Control Head tap

Arm snap Inside Control

Post

Neutral Defense Snap Down Snap and Spin

Front Headlock Sprawl, stuff and cross

face

Whizzer

Sprawl, stuff and cross

face

Top - Turns 1) Far Side Cradle 1) Far Side Cradle

2) Half Nelson 2) Half Nelson

3) cross-wrist tilt

Top -

Breakdowns 1) Chop 1) Chop

2) Far Ankle, Far Knee 2) Far Ankle, Far Knee

3) Spiral

Bottom 1) Stand-up 1) Stand-up

2) Sit-outs 2) Switch

3) Switch 3) Half Nelson Counter

4) Wrist Roll 4) Belly to base - Head Up

5) Half Nelson Counter

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Competition

"Youth pushed too early do well quickly but usually don't last for the good stuff. Solid

foundations are built slowly on sound principals."

Cael Sanderson, Head Coach, Penn State University

4X NCAA Champion (159-0)

2004 Olympic Champion

NCAA National Coach of the Year

The LLWCA Future Varsity League

The club is participating in a new league this season. Seventeen other local club are also

in the league. We believe this league will lead to better experiences for our wrestlers.

The objective of the league is to get each participating wrester matches against opponents

of similar ability. We have five competition dates involving at least four other clubs on

each date. These dates are on the club calendar. The league will also have league

qualifying tournaments, regional tournaments, and a championship tournament.

Participation in these events is not mandatory, but we believe that this league will provide

opportunities for wrestlers of all experience and ability levels to have positive

experiences wrestling in competitions.

Please see the wrestling calendar for specific dates and locations of dual meets and

tournaments.

Please know that no wrestlers are required to compete.

Note on Competition for Braves Group

One of the toughest questions in the sport of wrestling is when is the proper time for a

child to compete? Wrestling is unlike any sport when it comes to competition because of

the individual nature of the sport and the physical aspect. You should be very cautious

entering a kindergarten or first grade wrestler into a tournament. It is recommended that

as a second grader you can start to introduce some competition but only if the wrestler is

ready. Please talk to your wrestlers to see if they want to attend the event. Please know

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that many kids in k-2 compete and do just fine with competition but it is something about

which you need to be cautious. It is important for the wrestler to have a good experience

and enjoy the event. Please consult with a coach prior to entering your wrestler into

competition to make sure they are ready.

Braves Scrimmages

We will likely have a scrimmage for the wrestlers in January. The focus of this group is

exposure to the sport and learn the basics however. However, we have scrimmages for

the wrestlers who would like to participate. It is not mandatory to take part in the

scrimmages. A scrimmage is basically like a joint practice with another club. It is useful

because it gives the wrestlers a chance to wrestle against new faces and get outside the

normal routine.

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Wrestling Rules and Terminology

Takedown (Folkstyle)

When from a neutral position, one wrestler is able

to bring his opponent to the mat and gain control.

Score: 2 points

Escape (Folkstyle)

Escaping your opponent's control.

Score: 1 point

Reversal (Folkstyle)

When the wrestler on the bottom is able to reverse

the control so that his/her opponent is on the

bottom.

Score: 2 points

Near Fall (Folkstyle)

Points awarded when one wrestler comes close to

pinning the other.

Score: Worth two or three points depending on the

length of time that the opponent's back is exposed to

the mat.

Penalty Points (Folkstyle)

Can be awarded when the opposing wrestler

performs illegal moves or receives a penalty for

excessive stalling.

Take Downs, Escapes,

Reversals (Freestyle,

Greco-Roman)

Awarded one point unless there is exposure of the

back then additional points would be awarded.

Grand Amplitude

(Freestyle, Greco-Roman)

Holds where an opponent is lifted from the mat and

brought from a standing position immediately to

their back.

Five points

Back Points (Freestyle,

Greco-Roman)

Turning your opponents back within 90 degrees of

the mat. Not necessary to be in the offensive

position to get back points. A defender can be

awarded points if their opponent's back makes

contact with the mat.

Stalling

A warning is given for excessive stalling and then

penalties begin for subsequent calls.

Penalty: 1 point for the first and second penalty, 2

points for the third penalty, disqualification for the

fourth penalty.

Win by Fall A fall is known as a pin, which occurs when one

wrestler holds both his opponents' shoulders on the

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mat at the same time.

Win by Technical Fall

If either wrestler gains a fourteen-point lead

(Folkstyle) or a ten-point lead (Freestyle, Greco-

Roman) on their opponent at any point then the

match is declared over and he/she is the winner.

Win by Decision

This occurs when neither wrestler achieves a fall or

technical fall, the wrestler with the most points is

declared the winner. If the number of points is the

same then the decision will go to a panel of judges

who will base the winner on aggressiveness and

effectiveness.

Win by injury A wrestler is knocked out or unable to wrestle

because of injury the other is declared the winner.

Flagrant Misconduct Results in disqualification of individual and

immediate removal from premises.

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Match Conduct

Our team considers sportsmanship, honor, integrity and dedication to teammates above

all competitive aspects of our matches. As wrestlers and spectators, there are a few

simple principles we ask that you follow this season as we enter the competitive

schedule:

Competition Rules and Guidelines

• Match Day

o Be Positive!

o Don’t talk about trophies, medals, prior matches, how good or bad the

other team was last year, etc…

o Identify nervousness – it’s the body’s way of getting ready

o Tell them how proud you are before you get there

• After the Match

o Only praise! Tell them how proud you are of them.

o Constructive criticism comes from the coaches later

o Use of the ‘oreo’ approach in providing feedback (something positive,

something constructive, something positive)

o Nothing about the ref, match up, or excuses

o Focus on something they tried to do in the match that they have been

working on

o More praise, focus on effort, not performance

• Dealing with losses

o Walk off the mat with pride, head held high

o Always shake the opponents hand

o Be respectful of the other team, coaches, referee and opponent regardless

of their actions

o The focus is on competing with oneself not our opponents – It’s not WHO

you wrestle, it’s HOW you wrestle.

• Communication is Key

o Problems should be referred to the coaches after the match, not during

o If there is something you don’t like or believe is not fair tell the coaches

(calmly and respectfully) away from the student

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Dos and Don’ts

Please DO:

• Have your wrestler at the match early.

• Come to the match if you can. Younger students do get support from their

teammates, but sometimes they look for support from their parents as well.

• Cheer on your wrestler, and his teammates. (E.g. Atta boy James! Keep it up

Patrick! Looking great Ryan!). Please leave the coaching to the coaches, unless

you have specifically discussed beforehand with a coach that you want to be in

your wrestler’s corner.

• Say positive things to wrestlers, after a match, both on your team and on the other

team as well. “Great match” is always short, sweet, to the point, and

appropriate.

• Have a great time! Wrestling is a very special sport and this will be a very

positive experience for your family.

• Enjoy the rest of your weekend, after the match. We encourage all of our

wrestlers to leave everything on the mat. That means when the match is over… it

is OVER! If your wrestler feels like talking about his match with you… that’s

fine. However, we encourage you not to bring it up in discussion, otherwise. If

he’s not talking about it, it’s because he doesn’t want to talk about it. Wrestling is

a healthy sport. Obsession with success or failure in wrestling is unhealthy.

• Instead of talking about the match, buy your wrestler a snack, or take him to a

movie. He’s earned a reward for being courageous enough to step out on the mat

and wrestle.

Please DON’T:

• Say anything unless it is positive.

• Coach your wrestler from the stands. It distracts the wrestler to hear his parent’s

voice giving advice that often can conflicts with what the coaches are telling him.

• Yell and scream or say derogatory things about other wrestlers, coaches, referees

or parents. This seems obvious, but you wouldn’t believe what has occurred over

the years. Emotions sometimes get the best of all of us. The wrestling room is a

small place and there are lots and lots of ears around. We tell the team to wrestle

on the mat and act like wrestlers off of the mat. Please remember that the

behavior of the parents of our wrestlers also reflects on our program. We want

our program to be one of the finest youth programs in the state and we need our

parents to uphold their end of the bargain.

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• Approach the scorer’s table or coaches while they are in the corner

coaching. There is a lot of stuff going on, and we don’t have the liberty to answer

all of your questions during a match. Under no circumstances are parents

allowed on the mat during a match. If your son is injured, a coach will wave you

onto the mat if parental attention is required.

• Dwell on the result of the match. Life is a journey, not a destination and this is a

marathon, not a sprint. This is all a process that will result in all of us becoming

better wrestlers, better athletes and better people.

• Press your wrestler to discuss his or her match if he doesn’t want to. There is a

time and a place for everything. A youth wrestler is not a videotape. He does not

want to go over his match again and again. When the match is over, he wants to

just be himself. The Warwick coaches will follow up with every wrestler about

the things he did properly and the things he can improve upon.

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Warwick Boosters

Parents! Warwick is an excellent organization to be a part of, but we can’t do it all alone.

Our parent volunteers do most of the hard work and put in most of the time that goes into

making this program so great. If you would like to step up and volunteer this year, here

are some of the committees where Warwick could use your help.

• Board Member

• Coaches

• Organize Pictures

• Website

• End of Year Banquet

• T-shirts and merchandise

• Fundraising

• LLWCA Future Varsity League Championship Tournament3/3/18

o Table Help Coordinator

▪ Clock Operator

▪ Scorekeeper

▪ Tapper

o Concession Coordinator

▪ Concession worker

o Front Door

o Gym Set up (3/2/18)

o Gym Clean Up

o Awards

o Announcer

o Merchandise

o Weigh-ins

o Officials Photos

o Athletic Trainer

Developmental Characteristics – students develop differently depending on their age. This is

important to know when trying to teach skills and/or maintaining their attention. We have to be careful

about teaching some skills to students that might not be physically developed enough to do them. It is

also much easier to teach students once you know how they are motivated. This chart is provided by

the NWCA “Best Practices for Improving the Recruitment/Retention of Wrestlers” online course.

Age Group Physical Social Emotional Cognitive

5-6 year olds Developing eye hand coordination Like to take part in new activities led by an adult

Eager to learn

Like long periods of free play Play well in small groups Ask lots of questions

Improved body coordination yet fall easily Learning to cooperate with others but still selfish

Need adult guidance when starting new things, short

attention span

7-9 year olds Good sense of balance Increasingly friend conscious and loyal to friends

Enjoys problem solving

Improved fine and gross motor skills & like to test muscle skills.

Finds criticism difficult to handle Longer attention span

Enthusiastic about games that allow for self-improvement

Rigid sense of right and wrong More self directed

Ungainly in appearance and often awkward Need to belong to a group Beginning to understand right and left

10-12 year olds

Careless about cleanliness and personal hygiene

Like to join organized groups and see security in them

Ask lots of questions and want thoughtful answers

Girls entering puberty with rapid growth spurts

Intensely loyal to peer group (tremendous pressure)

Develop strong interests—hobbies

Enjoy physical activities that master specific skills

Assert individuality and independence rebellious & defiant

Enjoys problem solving with greater complexity

Like to see self improvement Daring and competitive and like competitive sports

Like rule based games

Enjoy competition Self-conscious of their ability Have a good sense of humor and enjoys

jokes/sarcasm

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Myths of Talent Development

Institute of Youth Sports at Michigan State University

The following has been developed by internationally renowned coaching

development experts, Dr. Dan Gould and Dr. Larry Lauer at the Institute for

Youth Sports at Michigan State University.

Myth 1: Athletic Talent Can Be Accurately Predicted in Youth: Sport science

research shows that it is very difficult to predict who will be a successful elite

athlete from their performance as children and youth. It is true that there are some

athletic prodigies who excel through all levels of sport. For the vast majority of

children, however, early success does not predict later athletic performance.

Myth 2: More Is Always Better! It takes 10 years or 10,000 hours of practice to

develop expertise in any field, including sport. However, these hours must be

distributed in different amounts at appropriate developmental times. Too often

youth sports parents and coaches are over training young athletes, which results

in more injuries, later losses of motivation, and burnout.

Myth 3: Early Single Sport Specialization Is Essential: With the exception of a

few early specialization sports, young athletes shouldn’t think about specializing

in a single sport until age 14-15. Even then they may still play a second sport for a

change of pace.

Myth 4: You Cannot Have Fun If You Are Going To Be Good: Because the

development of athletic talent is a long term process, research shows that elite

athletes must fall in love with their sport in their early years of involvement. They

need programs that emphasize fun, camaraderie, and skill development.

Myth 5: Talented Individuals Need Different Entry Programs and Coaching

Approaches Than Their Less Talented Counterparts: There is feeling today

that children as young as 6 or 7 need to be placed into special athletic talent

development programs. This is not the case. All children should be encouraged to

play multiple sports, develop fundamental motor skills, and have time to fall in

love with physical activity

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Skin Infections in Wrestling

The Sport of Wrestling faces many challenges and with each one its community has responded in

a positive way. Identification and management of infectious skin diseases have always been an

issue, but we are now facing a more insidious outbreak of infections that could mean the loss of

life and limb.

As result of this new challenge, it is critical that every parent, coach and physician that works

with the sport of wrestling must be aware of what to look for and the appropriate action to take.

There are basically three types of skin infections that plague this sport:

• Bacterial-Small organisms that are found everywhere in the air, water, ground, mats and

on skin. These organisms only become a problem if they get into and under the skin and

“colonize”. The two major strains (types) are Staphylococcal and Streptococcal that

produce infectious lesions within the sport. Early identification and management of

bacterial infection is critical in minimizing the impact on the athlete.

• Viral-Microscopic “parasitic” structures that require a host cell to survive. Viruses are

constantly changing and mutating but cannot survive without a “host”. Within the Sport

of Wrestling the primary agent being Herpes Simplex Type-I. The major concern with

Herpes is once an athlete has contracted the virus, they are infected for life and can have

a breakout at any time. They become carriers and can develop a breakout lesion at any

time. If a breakout infection occurs the athlete can “share” the virus with any wrestler

they have direct contact with.

• Fungal-Small Parasitic Plant Organisms that are found throughout daily living. They

spread through the dispersal of spores and can be very contagious. These organisms love

moist conditions and in some cases prefer to be anaerobic. Common types seen in

athletics are “Athlete’s Foot”, “Jock Itch” and Ringworm.

There are specific guidelines that should be followed in recognition of a skin lesion that should be

seen by physician for identification and management:

• Lesions with a red, flaky border.

• Weepy lesions, especially with “pus” or yellowish fluid.

• Facial lesions associated with fever, redness and swollen lymph nodes.

• Any skin lesion that is around the mouth, crosses the face into the scalp or redevelops in

the same area.

• Lesions that produce ‘”Pins and Needles” sensation.

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PREVENTION

“The best cure for skin infections is prevention”

The best way to treat contagious skin infections is prevention. The following rules are

critical to the success of preventing wrestlers from becoming infected:

1. GOOD Hygiene: Shower immediately and no longer than 30 minutes after

practice, change workout clothes and socks daily, consistently washing your

hands during the day, DO NOT share equipment.

2. If you notice an open lesion, keep it clean, cover it with a dressing and show it to

the Athletic Trainer or coach immediately.

3. Do not reuse razors, towels, or lotions that have had contact with an infected

lesion.

4. Self “skin checks” and workout partner “skin checks” daily.

5. Report any redness of a lesion to coach or Athletic Trainer.

6. If you have a sudden area that “itches”, show it to the Athletic Trainer or coach.

7. If you come in contact with an opponent or workout partner with an open lesion

clean the area with appropriate cleanser that contains Triclosan 1%; Nonoxynol 9;

8. Clean all practice mats and equipment daily with a 10% bleach or appropriate

cleaner.

9. If it appears to be infected get to the physician quickly and have the lesion tested

to determine the specific organism. Certain lesions may be covered with a

bioocclusive agent (i.e. Tegaderm), but not herpes to protect teammates,

opponents or family members.

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Wrestling Resources for Parents

Suggested Wrestling Coaching Education Websites: National Wrestling Coaches Association: www.nwcaonline.com USA Wrestling: www.usawrestling.org Wrestling Media Websites: Flo Wrestling: www.flowrestling.com The Mat: www.themat.com The Open Mat: www.theopenmat.com InterMat: www.intermatwrestle.com Pennsylvania Youth Wrestling: www.pywrestling.com PAWR Wrestling: www.pawrvideo.com Sports Safety: Concussions: http://www.sportsconcussions.org Parenting Tips: Role of the Parent in Sport: www.nfshlearn.org Recommended Facebook Pages: NWCA: http://www.facebook.com/NWCAonline USA Wrestling: http://www.facebook.com/usawrestling NFHS Coaching Education: http://www.facebook.com/NFHSCoachEducation National Alliance for Youth Sports (NAYS): http://www.facebook.com/nays.org